INTEGRATED MULTIPELX TARGET ANALYSIS

1 . (canceled)

2 . An apparatus for the detection of target analytes comprising:

a) an instrument bank comprising a plurality of biochip cartridge bays for insertion and analysis of a biochip cartridge;

b) a touch screen display having a plurality of bay icons, each bay icon uniquely corresponding to one of said plurality of bays;

wherein when one of said bay icons is touched a panel of first options about said corresponding bay is enlarged and/or exhibited.

3 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of biochip cartridge bays are arranged in at least one vertically disclosed bank of bays, and said bay icons are similarly displayed.

4 - 6 . (canceled)

7 . A apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said panel of first options comprises a plurality of secondary icons each selected from the group consisting of:

a) an icon to review biochip cartridge data;

b) an icon for status of a biochip cartridge assay;

c) an icon depicting the time remaining in a biochip cartridge assay;

d) an icon to generate a data report of biochip cartridge data;

e) an icon to print a data report of biochip cartridge data;

f) an icon to email a data report of biochip cartridge data;

g) an icon to export a data report of biochip cartridge data to another computer device; and

h) an icon to display a virtual keyboard.

8 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said apparatus further comprises a lighting component associated with each biochip cartridge bays.

9 . An apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said lighting component indicates the status of said bay.

10 . An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said status is selected from the group consisting of empty, cartridge present, cartridge assay underway, cartridge assay complete, and error.

11 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a barcode reader.

12 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a USB port.

13 . An apparatus according to 12 , wherein a barcode scanner is attached via said USB port.

14 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each biochip cartridge bays is independently addressed.

15 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each biochip cartridge is ejected upon completion of the assay protocol.

16 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said touch screen display further comprises a row of function icons.

17 . An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said function icons are selected from the group consisting of:

a) a function icon to display a virtual keyboard,

b) a preventative maintenance icon;

c) a dashboard icon,

d) a print icon;

e) an email icon;

f) an icon to export data to a remote device.

18 . An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein said preventative maintenance icon is a dashboard icon.

19 . An apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said dashboard icon when pressed will display a plurality of graphs each selected from the group consisting of [number of assays run], [number of assays for one or more bays], [number and/or type of assays run for each bay], [time since last maintenance for each bay] and [number of errors per bay].

20 . (canceled)

21 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each bay comprises at least a first off-chip resistive heater.

22 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each bay comprises at least a second off-chip Peltier heater.

23 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each bay comprises three resistive heaters configured to facilitate PCR reactions on said chip.

24 . An apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein said Peltier heater services the detection electrodes.

25 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . A biochip cartridge comprising:

a) a housing comprising a plurality of physical force contacts;

b) a first bottom substrate comprising printed circuit board (PCB) comprising:

i) a plurality of detection electrodes comprising capture binding ligands;

ii) a plurality of electrowetting electrodes;

iii) interconnects for said detection and electrowetting electrodes;

c) a second top substrate comprising plastic comprising:

i) a plurality of reactant wells, optionally containing reagent well inlet ports;

ii) at least one sample inlet port;

wherein said first and second substrate form at least one chamber.

28 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 27 , wherein said detection electrodes each comprise a capture binding ligand.

29 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 28 , wherein said detection electrodes further comprise a self-assembled monolayer (SAM).

30 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 28 , wherein said capture binding ligands are nucleic acids.

31 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 28 , wherein said capture binding ligands are proteins.

32 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 28 , wherein at least one of said reagent wells contains a solution binding ligand comprising at least one electron transfer moiety (ETM).

33 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 32 , wherein said ETM is selected from the group consisting of a metallocene, a ferrocene or a ferrocene derivative.

34 - 36 . (canceled)

37 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 27 , wherein said first substrate comprises at least a first EPROM that identifies the assay on said biochip.

38 . (canceled)

39 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 27 , wherein said housing is asymmetrically configured such that it can only be inserted into said bays in one direction.

40 . A biochip cartridge according to claim 27 wherein said inlet port has an associated sealable lid.

41 . (canceled)

42 . A method of diagnosis based on detecting at least one target analyte of a plurality of target analytes comprising:

a) providing an apparatus according to any claim herein,

b) providing a patient sample;

c) providing a biochip cartridge according to claim 27 ;

d) adding said patient sample to said inlet port;

e) sealing said inlet port;

f) adding a patient barcode to said housing;

g) scanning said patient barcode into said apparatus;

h) inserting said cartridge into one of said bays;

i) initiating the appropriate assay; and

j) generating a report showing the diagnosis.